the poet at the breakfast table-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


deal　as　I　should　have　put　it　myself。

Now；　then；the　Master　continued；I　'll　tell　you　what　is　necessary
to　all　these　artistic　idiosyncrasies　to　bring　them　into　good　square
human　relations　outside　of　the　special　province　where　their　ways
differ　from　those　of　other　people。　　I　am　going　to　illustrate　what　I
mean　by　a　comparison。　　I　don't　know；　by　the　way；　but　you　would　be
disposed　to　think　and　perhaps　call　me　a　wine…bibber　on　the　strength
of　the　freedom　with　which　I　deal　with　that　fluid　for　the　purposes　of
illustration。　　But　I　make　mighty　little　use　of　it；　except　as　it
furnishes　me　an　image　now　and　then；　as　it　did；　for　that　matter；　to
the　Disciples　and　their　Master。　　In　my　younger　days　they　used　to
bring　up　the　famous　old　wines；　the　White…top；　the　Juno；　the　Eclipse；
the　Essex　Junior；　and　the　rest；　in　their　old　cobwebbed；　dusty
bottles。　　The　resurrection　of　one　of　these　old　sepulchred　dignitaries
had　something　of　solemnity　about　it；　it　was　like　the　disinterment　of
a　king；　the　bringing　to　light　of　the　Royal　Martyr　King　Charles　I。；
for　instance；　that　Sir　Henry　Halford　gave　such　an　interesting　account
of。　　And　the　bottle　seemed　to　inspire　a　personal　respect；　it　was
wrapped　in　a　napkin　and　borne　tenderly　and　reverently　round　to　the
guests；　and　sometimes　a　dead　silence　went　before　the　first　gush　of
its　amber　flood；　and

　　　　〃The　boldest　held　his　breath
　　　　　For　a　time。〃

But　nowadays　the　precious　juice　of　a　long…dead　vintage　is　transferred
carefully　into　a　cut…glass　decanter；　and　stands　side　by　side　with　the
sherry　from　a　corner　grocery；　which　looks　just　as　bright　and
apparently　thinks　just　as　well　of　itself。　　The　old　historic　Madeiras；
which　have　warmed　the　periods　of　our　famous　rhetoricians　of　the　past
and　burned　in　the　impassioned　eloquence　of　our　earlier　political
demigods；　have　nothing　to　mark　them　externally　but　a　bit　of　thread；
it　may　be；　round　the　neck　of　the　decanter；　or　a　slip　of　ribbon；　pink
on　one　of　them　and　blue　on　another。

Go　to　a　London　club；perhaps　I　might　find　something　nearer　home　that
would　serve　my　turn；but　go　to　a　London　club；　and　there　you　will　see
the　celebrities　all　looking　alike　modern；　all　decanted　off　from　their
historic　antecedents　and　their　costume　of　circumstance　into　the
every…day　aspect　of　the　gentleman　of　common　cultivated　society。　　That
is　Sir　Coeur　de　Lion　Plantagenet　in　the　mutton…chop　whiskers　and　the
plain　gray　suit；　there　is　the　Laureate　in　a　frockcoat　like　your　own；
and　the　leader　of　the　House　of　Commons　in　a　necktie　you　do　not　envy。
That　is　the　kind　of　thing　you　want　to　take　the　nonsense　out　of　you。
If　you　are　not　decanted　off　from　yourself　every　few　days　or　weeks；
you　will　think　it　sacrilege　to　brush　a　cobweb　from　your　cork　by　and
by。　　O　little　fool；　that　has　published　a　little　book　full　of　little
poems　or　other　sputtering　tokens　of　an　uneasy　condition；　how　I　love
you　for　the　one　soft　nerve　of　special　sensibility　that　runs　through
your　exiguous　organism；　and　the　one　phosphorescent　particle　in　your
unilluminated　intelligence！　　But　if　you　don't　leave　your　spun…sugar
confectionery　business　once　in　a　while；　and　come　out　among　lusty
men；the　bristly；　pachydermatous　fellows　that　hew　out　the　highways
for　the　material　progress　of　society；　and　the　broad…shouldered；　out…
of…door　men　that　fight　for　the　great　prizes　of　life；you　will　come
to　think　that　the　spun…sugar　business　is　the　chief　end　of　man；　and
begin　to　feel　and　look　as　if　you　believed　yourself　as　much　above
common　people　as　that　personage　of　whom　Tourgueneff　says　that　〃he　had
the　air　of　his　own　statue　erected　by　national　subscription。〃

The　Master　paused　and　fell　into　a　deep　thinking　fit；　as　he　does
sometimes。　　He　had　had　his　own　say；　it　is　true；　but　he　had
established　his　character　as　a　listener　to　my　own　perfect
satisfaction；　for　I；　too；　was　conscious　of　having　preached　with　a
certain　prolixity。

I　am　always　troubled　when　I　think　of　my　very　limited　mathematical
capacities。　　It　seems　as　if　every　well…organized　mind　should　be　able
to　handle　numbers　and　quantities　through　their　symbols　to　an
indefinite　extent；　and　yet；　I　am　puzzled　by　what　seems　to　a　clever
boy　with　a　turn　for　calculation　as　plain　as　counting　his　fingers。　　I
don't　think　any　man　feels　well　grounded　in　knowledge　unless　he　has　a
good　basis　of　mathematical　certainties；　and　knows　how　to　deal　with
them　and　apply　them　to　every　branch　of　knowledge　where　they　can　come
in　to　advantage。

Our　Young　Astronomer　is　known　for　his　mathematical　ability；　and　I
asked　him　what　he　thought　was　the　difficulty　in　the　minds　that　are
weak　in　that　particular　direction；　while　they　may　be　of　remarkable
force　in　other　provinces　of　thought；　as　is　notoriously　the　case　with
some　men　of　great　distinction　in　science。

The　young　man　smiled　and　wrote　a　few　letters　and　symbols　on　a　piece
of　paper。…Can　you　see　through　that　at　once？he　said。

I　puzzled　over　it　for　some　minutes　and　gave　it　up。

He　said；　as　I　returned　it　to　him；　You　have　heard　military　men　say
that　such　a　person　had　an　eye　for　country；　have　n't　you？　　One　man
will　note　all　the　landmarks；　keep　the　points　of　compass　in　his　head；
observe　how　the　streams　run；　in　short；　carry　a　map　in　his　brain　of
any　region　that　he　has　marched　or　galloped　through。　　Another　man
takes　no　note　of　any　of　these　things；　always　follows　somebody　else's
lead　when　he　can；　and　gets　lost　if　he　is　left　to　himself；　a　mere　owl
in　daylight。　　Just　so　some　men　have　an　eye　for　an　equation；　and　would
read　at　sight　the　one　that　you　puzzled　over。　　It　is　told　of　Sir　Isaac
Newton　that　he　required　no　demonstration　of　the　propositions　in
Euclid's　Geometry；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　read　the　enuciation　the
solution　or　answer　was　plain　at　once。　　The　power　may　be　cultivated；
but　I　think　it　is　to　a　great　degree　a　natural　gift；　as　is　the　eye　for
color；　as　is　the　ear　for　music。

I　think　I　could　read　equations　readily　enough；I　said；if　I　could
only　keep　my　attention　fixed　on　them；　and　I　think　I　could　keep　my
attention　on　them　if　I　were　imprisoned　in　a　thinking…cell；　such　as
the　Creative　Intelligence　shapes　for　its　studio　when　at　its　divinest
work。

The　young　man's　lustrous　eyes　opened　very　widely　as　he　asked　me　to
explain　what　I　meant。

What　is　the　Creator's　divinest　work？I　asked。

Is　there　anything　more　divine　than　the　sun；　than　a　sun　with　its
planets　revolving　about　it；　warming　them；　lighting　them；　and　giving
conscious　life　to　the　beings　that　move　on　them？

You　agree；　then；　that　conscious　life　is　the　grand　aim　and　end　of
all　this　vast　mechanism。　　Without　life　that　could　feel　and　enjoy；　the
splendors　and　creative　energy　would　all　be　thrown　away。　　You　know
Harvey's　saying；　omnia　animalia　ex　ovo；all　animals　come　from　an
egg。　　You　ought　to　know　it；　for　the　great　controversy　going　on　about
spontaneous　generation　has　brought　it　into　special　prominence　lately。
Well；　then；　the　ovum；　the　egg；　is；　to　speak　in　human　phrase；　the
Creator's　more　private　and　sacred　studio；　for　his　magnum　opus。　　Now；
look　at　a　hen's　egg；　which　is　a　convenient　one　to　study；　because　it
is　large　enough　and　built　solidly　enough　to　look　at　and　handle
easily。　　That　would　be　the　form　I　would　choose　for　my　thinking…cell。
Build　me　an　oval　with　smooth；　translucent　walls；　and　put　me　in　the
centre　of　it　with　Newton's　〃Principia〃　or　Kant's　〃Kritik；〃　and　I
think　I　shall　develop　〃an　eye　for　an　equation；〃　as　you　call　it；　and　a
capacity　for　an　abstraction。

But　do　tell　me；said　the　Astronomer；　a　little　incredulously；what
there　is　in　that　particular　form　which　is　going　to　help　you　to　be　a
mathematician　or　a　metaphysician？

It　is　n't　help　I　want；　it　is　removing　hindrances。　　I　don't　want　to
see　anything　to　draw　off　my　attention。　　I　don't　want　a　cornice；　or　an
angle；　or　anything　but　a　containing　curve。　　I　want　diffused　light　and
no　single　luminous　centre　to　fix　my　eye；　and　so　distract　my　mind　from
its　one　object　of　contemplation。　　The　metaphysics　of　attention　have
hardly　been　sounded　to　their　depths。　　The　mere　fixing　the　look　on　any
single　object　for　a　long　time　may　produce　very　strange　effects。
Gibbon's　well…known　story　of　the　monks　of　Mount　Athos　and　their
contemplative　practice　is　often　laughed　over；　but　it　has　a　meaning。
They　were　to　shut　the　door　of　the　cell；　recline　the　beard　and　chin　on
the　breast；　and　contemplate　the　abdominal　centre。

〃At　first　all　will　be　dark　and　comfortless；　but　if　you　persevere　day
and　night；　you　will　feel　an　ineffable　joy；　and　no　sooner　has　the　soul
discovered　the　place　of　the　heart；　than　it　is　involved　in　a　mystic
and　ethereal　light。〃　　And　Mr。　　Braid　produces　absolute　anaesthesia；
so　that　surgical　operations　can　be　performed　without　suffering　to　the
patient；　only　by　making　him　fix　his　eyes　and　his　mind　on　a　single
object；　and　Newton　is　said　to　have　said；　as　you　remember；　〃I　keep　the
subject　constantly　before　me；　and　wait　till　the　first　dawnings　open
slowly　by　little　and　little　into　a　full　and　clear　light。〃　　These　are
different；　but　certainly　very　wonderful；　instances　of　what　can　be
done　by　attention。　　But　now　suppose　that　your　mind　is　in　its　nature
discursive；　erratic；　subject　to　electric　attractions　and　repulsions；
volage；　it　may　be　impossible　for　you　to　compel　your　attention　except
by　tak